1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the practice of nursing an infant, and particularly to various embodiments of a breastfeeding shield for protecting the breast of the nursing mother and/or assisting the nursing infant.
2. Description of the Related Art
While evolution has resulted in natural breastfeeding for all mammals, this natural function is by no means perfect. In the case of humans, many nursing mothers experience difficulty in nursing their infants due to chapping, cracking, inflammation (mastitis), and/or various other breast problems that may occur in nursing. In many instances this can lead to difficulty in providing sufficient nutrition for the nursing infant, particularly in less developed parts of the world where access to infant formulas and medical treatment is not readily available. Where infant sustenance is marginal, this may result in various nutrition-related illnesses in the infant, and may even possibly be a factor in the higher infant mortality rates in such areas of the world. Breast damage due to nursing may also lead to breast infection, which, in the case of nursing mothers unable to get proper medical treatment, may result in serious illness for the mother and of course further problems in nursing the infant.
Various solutions have been developed for the above problems. One such solution is the infant formula, allowing an infant to bottle feed and still receive proper nutrition. A more direct solution to breastfeeding problems experienced by many mothers was the development of the breastfeeding shield. However, in the past many, if not most, such shields were less than satisfactory due to the materials from which they were made (natural rubber, in many earlier shields), shape (many earlier shields would not conform well to the breast, thus limiting milk flow or allowing leakage), nipple configuration (limiting the ability of the infant to draw milk through the device), sanitation (difficulty in cleaning), and perhaps other problems. While improvements have been made more recently, the conventional breastfeeding shield still does not facilitate milk flow and provide a natural fit for the infant's mouth, particularly in the case of premature infants.
An example of such an earlier breastfeeding shield is found in Chinese Patent Publication No. CN2907276, published on Jun. 6, 2007. This publication describes (according to the drawings and English abstract) a brassiere for nursing mothers, comprising a pair of breastfeeding shields connected by a bra strap.
Thus, a breastfeeding shield solving the aforementioned problems is desired.